Christian Reflection and Prayer

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion

And when He (Jesus) rose from prayer, He came to the
disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and He
said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that
you may not enter into temptation" (Luke 22:45-46).

Read Luke 22:45-46.

Matthew and Mark's Gospels tell us Jesus' prayer lasted
about an hour-and He repeated it two more times. And
each time He went to check on His disciples. He longed
for their prayers, their presence, their support. How
disheartening is must have been to find them asleep.
Instead of rising up in prayer to meet the sorrow that
weighed heavy on their spirits, they sunk beneath it in
defeated sleep.

Jesus' exhausting struggle in prayer had prepared Him
for the grueling trial to come. Yet in their sleep His
disciples left themselves unprepared and vulnerable. He
awakens them, urging them to pray so they can
overcome the temptation to doubt and fall away from faith
when they see Him condemned and executed. They will
need to continue to pray in the hours and days to come
until they see Jesus' standing alive before them on
Sunday. Though they had failed to be there for Jesus, He
is there for them.

When we face difficult trials in life-especially trials of
faith-it is easy to grow weary and fatigued. Like the angel
He sent to Jesus, God strengthens us through His Word
and His gifts of Baptism and Holy Communion. We are
empowered to bear up under those burdens, and wrestle
our fears, struggles and heartaches. Through prayer God
prepares our hearts to embrace His perfect, fatherly will,
and to accomplish the amazing things He has planned for
our lives here on earth.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith through the trials I face,
and teach me to persistently pray as You did. Then by Your
mighty power, glorify Your Name through all I do and say.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)